Abounding Grace
And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head. ~1 Samuel 1:11
No one is insignificant in the eyes of the Lord! It is by God’s mercies that He would consider and use any of us for His glory. Hannah is one of the great Bible heroines. She was the mother of one of the greatest prophets and men of faith in the Bible: Samuel. Hannah is a picture of God’s abounding grace in the life of a believer.
We see Hannah and her misery.
Hannah was one of two wives of Elkanah. God never intended for a man to have more than one wife. Hannah was in a constant rivalry with Elkanah’s other wife. In fact, Peninnah is referred to as Hannah’s adversary who provoked her sore. If this was not enough, Hannah was also unable to bear children. A married woman’s biggest burden and grief is her inability to have children. Hannah lived in frustration, grief, and misery. Perhaps this morning you are going through some trials that have made you miserable. The testimony of Hannah might be what the Lord has ordered for you.
We see Hannah and her ministry.
Hannah was overwhelmed with her plight in life. However, instead of letting the problem control her, she took control of the problem. In 1 Samuel 1:11, she pours out her heart to God in prayer. Three times she refers to herself as God’s handmaid. A handmaid is a term referring to a servant. She became a servant through prayer. The one thing that every Christian can and should do is pray. She prayed for mercy in her life. She desired that God would look upon her plight with mercy. She prayed for a miracle. Prayer is asking God to do what you cannot do. It is matching divine resources with human needs for the glory of God. She asked God to reverse her infertility. She prayed for a man child. She specifically asked God for a child that would be a boy. She prayed for a minister of God. In this prayer, she asked God to take the son that He would bless her with and enlist him into the service of God. She prayed with boldness; she prayed for something big; she prayed for a boy; and she prayed to be a blessing! Does your praying have the elements of ministry and service within it?
We see Hannah and her mission.
Hannah vowed that her son Samuel would be dedicated to the Lord for as long as he lived. In fact, she referred to her dedication as her loan to the Lord. Now, what she did was an act of great faith! By giving God her first son, she was giving her all and her best to God. Thus, her mission in life became the dedication and preparation of Samuel for the Lord. At best, she would have three to five years to raise him for the eventual moment when he would be presented to the Lord. Her mission was to prepare her son to serve God for the rest of his life. She exercised faith and fervency in what she did.
We see Hannah and her message.
Hannah’s name means “the grace of God.” There was the grace that sustained her during her weakness. There was the grace in serving that enabled her to prepare Samuel. There was the grace of giving in her gift of Samuel. The last thing that we read about Hannah is that the Lord visited her and blessed her with three sons and two daughters. Her act of faith resulted in God blessing her with five more children. Grace giving always results in us being the beneficiaries of blessings beyond our reasoning.
Don’t shortchange yourself or God. Exercise faith in your praying and in your giving. Trust God to take care of your future as you take care of the present. Follow the model in Hannah’s life, and experience abounding grace!
Have a grace-filled God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: 1 Chronicles 28-29